The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus which is suitably applied to a hybrid machine provided with a copy function, a facsimile function and a printer function.
Particularly, an image memory for storing the image data obtained from an image recording means, the image data obtained from a facsimile means, and the image data obtained from a data communication means, is provided, and the image memory is used in common by at least above-described three means, and the image formation and the image communication can be carried out during the document image reading, or the image reading and the image communication can be carried out during the image formation, or the image reading and the image formation can be carried out during the image communication, and the image memory is made so that it can be effectively used.
Recently, a digital copier by which the image formation is conducted based on the image data obtained from the document image, comes to be used. In this copier, the image information of the document is read by a scanner, or the like, and the image information of the document is temporarily stored in an image memory. Image processing such as image reduction, enlargement, and rotation, is conducted on the image information stored in the image memory, corresponding to the request of customers. An image based on the image data which is image-processed herein, is formed on a predetermined transfer sheet by an image forming means (printer). As the result, the document image can be copied.
Further, a hybrid machine in which the above-described digital copy function, facsimile function and printer function are compounded, and a printer is used in common by these three functions, and an image reading means (scanner) is used in common by a copy function and a facsimile function, is on the market.
FIG. 36 is a block diagram showing an example of a structure of this type of hybrid machine 10. The hybrid machine 10 shown in FIG. 36 has a data bus 1. A communication modem 2, coding section 3, scanner 4, image processing section 5, data communication section 6, image memory 7, printer 8 and control section 9 are connected to this data bus 1. An operation section 9A and a display section 9B are connected to this control section 9. In this type of hybrid machine 10, the image memory 7 is divided into a copy area 7A and a FAX area 7B.
In the copy function, the copy area 7A is used, and the document image data read by the scanner 4, or the like, is stored after being compressed. In the facsimile function, the Fax area 7B is used, and when the image data sent from the remote station is received by the communication modem 2, it is decoded in the coding section 3, then, recorded in the FAX area 7B allotted for the facsimile function.
In the printer function, the copy area 7A is used in common and when the image data from a computer is received by the data communication section 9, after predetermined image processing is carried out on the image data in the image processing section 5, the processed image data is stored in the copy area 7A. Relating to the copy area 7A and the FAX area 7B, when the memory capacity of these two area are compared to each other, in many cases, a larger capacity is allotted to the copy area 7A, although it is related to the working property thereof.
After the image data stored in the image memory 7 is expanded, predetermined image processing is conducted on the image data in the image processing section 5, then, the processed image data is outputted to the printer 8. In the printer 8, the image data is transferred onto the recording sheet for one page unit, and an image is formed.
Incidentally, in the hybrid machine 10 having the copy function, the facsimile function and printer function, it is very inconvenient that, when one function is used, the other functions can not be used. Accordingly, it is preferable that compounded each function can be independently operated. Even if these functions can not be simultaneously operated in the structure of the hybrid machine, it is important that the function by the operation input of the operator is conducted prior to other functions, thereby, no stress is given to the operator. This priority function is designated so-called multi-access or dual access.
Under this multi-access, there is a case where, after facsimile receiving has been completed, the communication report is automatically printed out, or after its completion, the image data received from the computer is printed out. There is a case where, while the print out is being conducted, a request of emergency copy by the operator is designated to the control section 9 through the operation section 9A. For this request, it is necessary that the print out operation is sopped once, and the copy requested by the operator can be conducted being prior to the other operation.
Further, it is necessary that setting operation of the operation conditions for FAX transmission or document reading can be conducted independently of the print out operation or FAX communication even while these are being conducted. Further, when a print job for each function is overlapped with print jobs for others, it is necessary to print out from the highest urgency job prior to others.
However, according to the conventional type hybrid machine 10, the copy area 7A is allotted to the copy function and printer function, and the FAX area 7B is allotted to the facsimile function, and the image data is written or read corresponding to execution of the facsimile function, copy function, and printer function by the control section 9.
Accordingly, when there is a request of image formation and image communication during document reading, it is necessary to mediate to which function the data bus 1 is given and write the image data into the image memory 7, or read the image data from the image memory 7, corresponding to the request for use of the data bus 1 for the execution of the print function and the facsimile function. Thereby, the mediation processing in the control section 9 is complicated, and a burden for the control is increased.
Accordingly, it is difficult to conduct the image formation and image communication during document reading, to conduct image reading and image communication during image formation, or to conduct image reading and image formation during image communication. In this connection, the following methods are also considered to lighten the bus mediation processing of the control section 9, the bit width of the data bus is extended, or a high performance control section 9 is provided, however, it results in cost-up of the hybrid machine 10, which is disadvantageous.
Accordingly, the present invention solves the foregoing problems and an object of the present invention is to provide an image forming apparatus by which the image formation and the image communication can be carried out during the document image reading, or the image reading and the image communication can be carried out during the image formation, or the image reading and the image formation can be carried out during the image communication, and the image memory can be effectively used.
In order to solve the above-described problems, the image forming apparatus of the present invention has: an image reading means for reading a document image and obtaining the image data; a data communication means for being connected to a computer and receiving image data from the computer; a facsimile means for being connected to a telephone line and receiving the image data; an image memory which is used in common for storing the image data obtained from the facsimile means, image data obtained from the data communication means, and image data obtained from the image reading means; and an image forming means for forming an image based on the image data stored in the image memory, and the image forming apparatus is characterized in that the image forming means is made to be used based on a predetermined priority level of respective functions embodied by a combination of the image reading means, data communication means, facsimile means, and image memory.
According to the image forming apparatus, when the image formation is conducted based on the image data stored in the image memory, for example, the image data is mediated by the image storing control means, and thereby, the image forming means is made to be used based on a predetermined priority level.
For example, the copy function realized by the image reading means, image memory and image forming means, and the printer function realized by the data communication means, image memory, and image forming means, competes with each other, the image forming means is made to be used by the copy function prior to the other function, and the image data by the data communication means is temporarily stored in the image memory. Further, when the above-described copy function competes with the facsimile receiving function realized by the facsimile means, image memory and image forming means, the image forming means is made to be used by the copy function prior to the other functions, and the image data from the remote station by the facsimile means is received and can be stored in the image memory. Incidentally, when the print function competes with the facsimile receiving function, the image forming means can be made to be used based on a predetermined priority level.
Accordingly, the image formation and image communication can be carried out during the document reading, or the image reading and image communication can be carried out during the image formation, or the image reading and image formation can be carried out during the image communication. Thereby, a hybrid machine which has very good operability and excellent flexibility, can be structured.
Further, according to the image forming apparatus of the present invention, because the image memory is used in common, when the image reading means, facsimile means, or data communication means does not use the memory area, or even when these means use the memory area, when the rate of the use of the memory is low, the empty memory area can be used with fluidity by the image reading means, facsimile means, or data communication means which are operating now. Accordingly, the image memory can be effectively used.